Dawnheart's Book of Challenges
by The Light of Dawn
Summary: My book of challenges for forums. Aka Children of the Shadows.
1. CotS Drabble

"Dawn!"

The golden tabby clenched her eyes shut as the memories crashed over her.

"Dawn! Come help us!"

"Dawn! Don't leave us!"

"Dawn! Please save us!"

 _I'm sorry,_ she thought. _I really am._

She could just see them all, surrounded by the circle of encroaching fire, voices hoarse from smoke as they called out to her, all four of them; Her mother, Marigold; Her father, Gorse; Her sisters, Aspen and Wren.

Why hadn't she helped them?

The golden tabby buried her head in her paws.

 _I'm sorry..._

"But Dawn! You left us to die!"

"You've killed us!"

 _I'm so sorry..._


	2. CotS First Catch

"What are we doing today? Can Wrenpaw and Aspenpaw come with us? Is it going to be fun? Can we do it now?" Dawnpaw chattered excitedly.

The brand-new apprentice had only gained her new name yesterday, and she hadn't stopped talking happily about her new life as a warrior apprentice. It was either wonderful luck or careful planning and observation on Ivystar's part that her mentor, Applewing, didn't mind the constant mews.

"We're going to have a hunting lesson with Wrenpaw and Aspenpaw," Applewing answered, smiling at her apprentice's enthusiasm.

"Awesome! Are we going now?" Dawnpaw answered. "Where are Wrenpaw and Aspenpaw? Should I look for them in the apprentice den?"

She started bounding towards her den when Applewing called her back, purring in amusement. "No, Dawnpaw; Aspenpaw and Wrenpaw, along with their mentors, are waiting for us at the training hollow!"

The golden tabby apprentice skidded to a halt and spun around, now heading for the camp entrance. "Then let's get going!" she yowled, darting out of camp.

Applewing sighed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly as other cats let out amused comments about Dawnpaw. _She's got lots of enthusiasm and energy,_ the mentor could just hear them saying. _Applewing has quite the handful on her paws!_

Dawnpaw leapt out at her mentor as she left camp. "I forgot how to get there! Do you remember? You do remember, right? I can't miss my first hunting lesson!"

"Of course I remember!" Applewing laughed, breaking into a slow run as she led her young apprentice through the trees.

* * *

"Dawnpaw, you're finally here!" Wrenpaw exclaimed, touching noses with her sister.

Aspenpaw smiled. "Yeah, we were beginning to think you'd never come!"

Wrenpaw flicked her ginger tabby sister. "Correction, _she_ though you'd never come!" The golden-and-white she-cat mewed, emphasizing 'she' as much as she could.

Dawnpaw grinned. "Whatever, I can't wait for the hunting lesson! We're going to be _awesome_ hunters, the best in the whole of ThunderClan, right? So we have to focus, and catch as much prey as we can!"

"Dawnpaw," Stonefrost, Aspenpaw's mentor, mewed loudly. "If you plan on being a great hunter, the first thing you'll have to learn is to be quiet and listen to your mentors and the surroundings.

"Oh." Dawnpaw closed her jaws, but her eyes begged for the three mentors to start the lessons.

"Everybody get into their best hunter's crouch," Applewing mewed after a moment. "We'll correct you, and then we'll work on stalking, and, at last, try out what you've learned on the real thing."

Grinning, Dawnpaw dropped into a deep crouch, tail lashing wildly.

Applewing bounded over and nudged her apprentice into a proper formation, telling her to remember what it felt like so she could repeat it later.

Dawnpaw nodded and started clumsily stalking forwards. As she got used to the movements, she slowed and became a little more graceful, but Applewing still had to refrain herself from speaking with blunt criticism as she gently helped her apprentice improve.

The other two apprentices were doing a little bit better, and soon enough Lilytail led Wrenpaw into the trees for her first real hunting attempt.

Dawnpaw glanced at her mentor, eyes looking disappointed. "How come it's taking so long?" she asked in a complaining tone. "I want to hunt real prey now, like Wrenpaw is! I'm going to be the best hunter in the clan, so why do I have to wait?"

Applewing sighed internally. Patience was one thing, but she didn't know how to answer this question when Dawnpaw just didn't seem to be getting the hang of stalking.

"Let's go into the forest, then," she mewed after a hesitant moment. "And you can try and catch something. But don't get your-"

Dawnpaw had already rocketed into the trees, wielding a big smile on her face.

When Applewing caught up to Dawnpaw, the golden tabby apprentice was creeping up on a small mouse. The warrior was surprised at how well Dawnpaw was doing so far, and she shrank back slightly and closed her eyes, waiting for Dawnpaw to yowl in indignation as the mouse ran away.

But the annoyed yowl never came.

Instead, Dawnpaw dropped something at Applewing's paws and delightedly crowed, "I did it! I did it! It saw me, but I ran after it, and I did it, Applewing!"

Blinking open her eyes, Applewing stared at the small gray mouse lying at her feet.

"Congratulations, Dawnpaw, on your first catch!" she purred to her apprentice.

"Thank you!" the apprentice grabbed her mouse. "Thank you so much for showing me how to hunt! I'm going to go show Wrenpaw and Aspenpaw now!"

"Don't scare off whatever they may be stalking!" Applewing warned, but Dawnpaw had already flashed away through the trees.

The mentor smiled to herself.

 _There's six or so long moons ahead of me,_ she thought. _But I'll be enjoying them every second._


	3. CotS Disabilities

I was born mute. Unable to speak what was on my mind. Unable to talk to other cats or train an apprentice. Unable to do anything but listen. Unable to do anything but live a world of never knowing what my voice sounded like, unable to do anything but follow and learn and do without questions.

Things were fine without the power to speak. My name was Leafkit, because of my brown tabby coat and my golden paws and my amber eyes. At least, that's what my mother says. That's what my Clan says. So I believe them. I always believe them, because when you're mute it can be hard to defy what others are saying. You can't press into it, you can't say it, you can't prove it.

I became a warrior apprentice, and a very kind warrior named Silvermist was my mentor. I was Leafpaw. I was training to be a warrior of my clan. Life seemed like it would be perfect.

But then the big battle came. I was hunting alone when three or so foxes exploded out of the bushes. I can't remember the scene too well, only the pain that it caused me. I couldn't yowl for help. I couldn't screech or shriek or hiss. I tried to fight, but I was too young, too inexperienced, and one versus three is always a doomed battle.

I escaped alive, yes. But I lost a foreleg.

Enduring my pain as silently as ever, our medicine cat, Redfoot, is training me to walk again. My family is helping me to communicate my needs. Everyone is helping me, but they pity.

Everyone expect Sunstar, our leader. Sunstar never thought I should have become a warrior apprentice, and he was completely against the idea, but our former leader, Brightstar, made me one despite her deputy's feelings. Sunstar has never supported me and my goals and my life, and when he became leader just a few moons ago all that I ever thought about him was that he was searching and searching for the perfect reason to kill me or send me to the elders' den.

Two days ago, Redfoot and my mother, Blossomheart, helped me to get just outside the medicine cat den, because something very important was happening.

My three siblings and I were being made warriors. I didn't see how I would, or how I _could_ join them in warrior hood. But after Dewpaw became Dewblossom, Emberpaw became Emberflight, and Crowpaw became Crowstorm, sure enough, I was called forwards.

Sunstar had stared down at me, at my tentative, unspeaking face, at the ragged stump where my foreleg used to be, at where my trembling body stood on the ground before him. He had said the ceremonial words and then, after I nodded my vow, had mewed, "Then from this moment on, you shall be known as Lostleg, in honor of your missing and lost ability to speak. May you have plenty of rest in the elders' den."

My soundless jaw had dropped open in shock and protest.

The name Lostleg had coursed through my mind... I had been made an elder. My name had been changed. I was both mute and maimed.

I had backed up, then turned, and sped out of camp as fast as I could go on three wobbly legs, my body still heavily scarred from the foxes as well. I made it no farther then a fox-length before I collapsed, and Redfoot and Blossomheart hauled me gently back to my nest.

Waking up at sometime around midnight, I had endured some silent thoughts. Some speculated giving up. Others were about keeping on going and trying to get past my newest obstacle in life. I was leaning towards the side of giving up when I heard shrieks coming from the camp, and then a familiar large russet fox broke into the medicine cat den.

When it had lunged for me, everything had gone black.

I didn't need to give up. The fox was doing so for me. StarClan was calling for me... I had heard that blind cats had their vision restored, tattered ears becoming perfectly unharmed, scars disappearing. If only I were to join StarClan, maybe I could speak and hear the sound of my own voice. Maybe I could have my leg back. Maybe I could have a true warrior name.

Right then and there, I thanked StarClan for sending the fox back to me. Because everything I wanted would be there for me in StarClan.

And StarClan was coming for me now, bringing me to where I belonged.

My name is Leafspirit. I am a former warrior of ThunderClan and a current warrior of StarClan. I have a beautiful voice and four working legs. I have two sisters, named Dewblossom and Emberflight, and a brother named Crowstorm. I had a mother and father named Blossomheart and Birchstorm.

My life is perfect here in the stars.

Thank you, StarClan.


End file.
